New or Used Trailer?

If you are the owner of a trailer you will understand that they are indispensable. Whether it is for personal use, transporting livestock or even carrying a boat, you couldnâ€™t live without them. In that respect, they are much like a car. And, much like a car, they can be an expensive purchase.

This often raises the question of whether to buy brand new or buy pre-owned. In this article, I hope to help you make your decision by providing you with the benefits of each decision.

New:

You know it has only been used by you and therefore there are no problems caused by the usage of the previous owner. It means that if something goes wrong, you will likely know what caused it and will be able to repair it, whereas if it is pre-owned, it may be a fault from the previous owner.

You know it is up to all of the latest safety standards and legislation.

You are protected by law if you decide you donâ€™t like it or it is faulty â€“ consumer rights.

Pre-Owned:

Obviously, the biggest benefit is that it is a lot more cost effective to buy pre-owned.

You can get more for your money â€“ if you have a set budget, you may be able to afford a new trailer, but just think â€“ a pre-owned trailer made just a few years ago may be of a higher quality and have much higher specs, but cost the same as a brand new trailer of lower quality. So itâ€™s in your best interest to spend your money on the pre-owned product.

Similarly, if you have your eye on a specific model, buying it pre-owned means you will get the same product but get it much cheaper.

If you buy it from a reputable trailer dealer, it will still be of a high quality. A good dealer will make sure only to buy good quality products and will service them to a road worthy level before selling them on.

The fact that it is still in a quality condition means that any manufacturer faults are unlikely â€“ always a problem you may face if you are buying brand new.

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My dad built his own kayak and canoe-hauling trailer using a chassis from a pop-up camper we had many years ago! He built another trailer to haul equipment for Boy Scout camping trips using an even older chassis–one from the late 1960s.